You Call Those Local Landing Pages?!

The last time we spoke blogged, I told you why I thought doorway pages were nothing like local landing pages. If you missed it, check this out before continuing. It’s true, a well built local lander cannot be grouped together the doorway pages of this world. But what about those crappy, thin, mostly duplicate landers? Don’t hide, I look at the sites you send me! Yes, they could be better. A lot fucking better in some cases. Why do I care? Because I am worried about you, and I want you to succeed.

What I Think a Local Lander is All About…

When I come to your page, I want, without a shadow of doubt, to recognize that I have landed in the right place. That you are the guy I was looking for, and you are going to solve all of life’s problems. Okay, that’s a bit much. BUT, like I’ve said before, I should not have to go anywhere else. You will answer all my questions. Questions I haven’t even thought of yet.

A Little Example..

Let’s create a little scenario. I am in the market for a house, and have stumbled across your landing page, because you were smart enough to use Loganix, and now rank like a boss. Among other things, I go to a Realtor because I want someone who really knows their shit. I am not only investing in a home, I am investing in the neighborhood, and so what’s around me matters a great deal. If that park across the street is about to be turned into a fucking landfill, I expect you to know about it. My point is, I want a guy who, from reading the content, is probably from the area. Takes his kids to church here. Been in, and sold every house on the damn block. Run the trails. Dines with the Mayor on occasion. If you can make me think just a little of this by throwing down some serious game (knowledge), you’ve got me.

“This Is How We Do It” – Montell Jordan

To do that, I will go to town on the content. But the problem most people run into is…how do you write about unplugging toilets, and repairing faucets 100 times? Heck, 10 times?! You end up saying a lot of the same crap, and by the end of it, want to walk off the nearest ledge. So how to you mix it up? You get creative. How do you blow people away, while doing it at scale? You scale the unscalable of course.
This is how I keep it fresh homie. I pick from this list, and write about the following:

• Lots of unique, location specific content
• Location specific, unique descriptions – no boiler plate!
• Location specific, photos and videos
• Pictures of staff, managers, doing stuff
• Shots from inside, outside, etc
• Products, and brands you carry
• Projects you’ve done in the area
• Comments, and/or bios from staffers
• Do you have any special training? Certifications?
• Do you service any micro areas within this community?
• What are some nearby landmarks?
• Show me a zoom-able map of your shop, or the area
• Write out some driving directions, or embed, or link
• Trust symbols? Memberships?
• Case studies, involving local folks
• Coupons? Or any specials this location has going on?
• Local laws or regulations specific to your biz?
• Info about some of the equipment you use
• Links to other nearby locations
• Interesting facts about the area
• Links to outside resources they might require in making their decision
• Why should they pick you? Techniques? Customer service?

You see what I mean? You are creating a resource. And dude, consider all the long tail opportunities! Duuuudee!

Other Great Resources

Want to binge on more great local lander tips? Here are a couple of my favorites:
http://moz.com/blog/local-landing-pages-guide
http://www.smallbusinessonlinecoach.com/blog/seo/onpage-optimization-local-seo-perfectly-optimized-local-page/

Good luck out there folks!
Adam
@AdamGSteele